Whispering Smith published in the Littlehampton Gazette July 18th. 2013

ONE of my favourite walks used to be a two hour yomp from LA to Arundel along the tow path of the river’s west bank, but not anymore. I tried this walk last week and was so disappointed to find that the path was no longer a clearway. At the road bridge end heaps of unsightly dumped hardcore and the actual tow path overgrown with long grass, thistles and bindweed making walking difficult. I do not know who or what authority is responsible for keeping this a working footway but I do intend to find out and do my level best to make it once again a local attraction of some rare beauty.

A LOT of folk find cricket boring and, sure, it does go on a bit longer than a football match even in the shorter forms of the game, a bit slow maybe but, in the right company, never boring. My favourite ground is Arundel Castle, probably the prettiest cricket ground in the world, set in a bowl, surrounded by woodland, a glimpse of the castle through the leaves and with its own bar and long room. The game is not all about that old cliché of ‘the sound of leather hitting willow’, it’s about the people you are with and, on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Arundel, it may be only a hundred or so but with martins and swallows clearing insects from the outfield, a pint of good ale, a sausage roll of majestic proportions on a paper plate, a dollop of English mustard, a chunk of lemon drizzle cake and good company sitting ‘neath the horse chestnut tree, it is hard not to drift into a reverie and make believe you are in Paradise…

LOTS going on in LA over the next couple of weekends with Love Littlehampton Arts Week from July 20th to the 27th kicking off with a day of live music at the Festival in the Park on Caffyn’s Field. A very busy week indeed with my pick being The Arts in Harbour Park on July 26th. with workshops and photographic displays and a chance to win a portrait of yourself by a top local LA photographer. Check out the full programme on line.

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW: LA’s last movie showing was 155 days ago and counting…